Distinguished Professor Carlito Lebrilla has been named a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), joining 185 other academic and institutional inventors in the 2025 class. The NAI fellowship is considered the highest professional distinction for inventors, recognizing achievements in turning research into products and services.
Lebrilla holds joint appointments in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at University California Davis. His work focuses on analytical chemistry, specifically identifying and characterizing molecular compounds related to diet, health, and disease progression. He holds 10 patents and has published nearly 500 scientific papers.
“As chemists, we see life as one big bundle of chemically reacting compounds,” Lebrilla said. “Nutrition just makes sure that the right reagents go into the right reactions, producing the proper products in the correct amount. Disease happens when the reactions produce the wrong products or don’t produce enough of the right products.”
Lebrilla’s research group has developed advanced analytical tools such as mass spectrometry methods and separation techniques to study carbohydrates, which are abundant large molecules found in nature. Their studies have contributed to understanding how human milk shapes an infant’s gut microbiome and clarified roles of various dietary fibers for adults.
“In diseases, we find that as in plants, human cells are also covered with carbohydrates, but with shorter chains and connected to proteins and lipids,” Lebrilla said. “These structures are altered in all forms of cancer and even in Alzheimer’s diseases. By looking for these modifications in the blood of patients, we were able to develop blood tests for diseases.”
The 2025 class of NAI fellows collectively holds more than 5,300 U.S. patents. Lebrilla will receive his medal at the NAI 15th Annual Conference scheduled for June 2026 in Los Angeles.
“It feels great to be recognized for our discoveries by the NAI,” Lebrilla said. “I do science because it’s fun but to be able to shine light on real issues in health and nutrition is a great, great bonus.”
He emphasized that this recognition extends beyond himself to include his research team comprised of graduate students, undergraduate students, and postdoctoral fellows.
“They may not have been named, but they know who they are and what they did advanced knowledge in practical ways,” he said. “I’m most proud to be part of my team.”
Offering advice for students and early career scientists, Lebrilla stated: “Be open to new paths and new questions,” he said. “Be especially open to new interpretations. Disproving old dogmas is more fun than reinterpreting them.”